Fostering is a way of providing a stable family life for children and young people who are unable to live with their birth family. This allows children and young people to thrive in a loving and secure home with their foster carers and can be for a short or longer period of time.
Whilst fostering is extremely rewarding, the children and young people who live with foster carers come from a diverse range of backgrounds and may display some challenging behaviours depending on their past experiences.
Why do some children need to live with foster carers?
Children of all ages, from 0 – 18 years, may come into care and for a range of different reasons. It could be because of a family illness, family breakdown and problems at home, or a situation where their welfare is threatened. Many children and young people may have experienced neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
What is the difference between fostering and adoption?
Fostering is different to adoption as an adoption order ends a child’s legal relationship with their birth family. As a foster carer you are not the legal guardian of the child or young person as this remains with the birth parents and / or the local authority.
Working as part of the ‘team around the child’
As a Foster Carer, you will be a vital member of the ‘team around the child.’ You will need to be available to take children and young people in your care to regular health appointments, as well as to attend meetings about their care and educational needs. Fostering also involves working closely with a range of people including social workers, teachers, health professionals and birth families.
Once foster carers are approved, they are supervised and supported by an allocated Supporting Social Worker which involves regular phone contact, home visits, attendance at meetings, and training events.
Children and young people in foster care have their own Social Workers who will visit them regularly in their foster home to talk to them about how they are being cared for, any problems they may be having, and future plans.
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